The methodology of research of Japanese myths (shinwa) in the studies of historian Tsuda Sōkichi (1873–1961)

Abstract

This article discusses the approaches of the historian Tsuda Sōkichi to the study of the myths about the gods described in the historical and mythological records “Kojik” and “Nihon chok”. Tsuda Sōkichi left his mark on Japanese historical science as a scientist who applied new methods to the study of ancient myths. The historian applied the accumulated knowledge gained as a result of studying the advanced Western research methods proposed by B. Chamberlain, L. Ranke, and took a fresh look at the ancient historical sources “Kojik” and “Nihon shok”. During the Meiji period, the state established control over historical research and an official ideology developed around the figure of the emperor. In particular, the events of the era of the gods, described in the oldest written monuments, were believed to be the confirmation of the divine origin of the imperial family. However, the historian doubted the truth of the events relating to the era of the god, and made an attempt to clarify the origins of the myths. S. Tsuda does not consider myths to be entirely fictional stories, suggesting that they could be based on real events, but he denies the reality of the existence of gods. The historian compared the myths in the two monuments and singled out the main storyline, dedicated to the emperor’s ancestral gods, and the secondary one. Using the comparative method, the historian draws a conclusion about the Chinese influence on the official mythology of the ancient Japanese state, and also determines other reasons for the changes in the plots of myths. S. Tsuda sees the origins of myths in folk tales and considers them important ethnographic material. The historian identified several functions of myths: political, moral (or religious), the function of explaining physical phenomena and the origin of toponyms and names. The key function of myths, in his opinion, is precisely the political one, since the narrative of myths is built around the divine descendants of the emperor. The purpose of the myths was to strengthen the imperial family among the nobility,nto exalt his figure, and te creatn the image of a “righteous” ruler by proving blood relationship with the main goddess of the Japanese pantheon Amaterasu.

Keywords

• tsuda sōkichi
• japanese historical science
• japanese emperor
• japanese myths
• kojiki
• nihon shoki